ENGLISH GOSSIP.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 691, 9 May 1879, Page 2

ENGLISH GOSSIP.

It is stated that an offer has been made by the War Office to several of the surgeons who served m the late war under the Red Orosa Society, to go out to South Africa, but the terms are mean m the extreme ; a pound a day, temporary service only, and no prospect of pension m case of disaster. This is not likely to tempt any doctor whose services would prove valuable. The laying of a cable to South Africa will cost the country about a million, which the unfortunate Chancellor of the Exchequer wUI, of course, have to find. Every day brings an unexpected addition to the wrong side of the Budget. The insurance offices will be heavy losers .by the death of the Duke of Newcastle, as his life was insured for about half-a-million. The Emperor and Empress of Germany were anxious that the Princess Louise |Margaret should be married at Potsdam, and they only consented to the marriage taking place m England after the Queen had strongly expressed her wishes on the subject. The Conservatives are even more indignant than the Liberals at the determination of the Government to leave the direction of the campaign m Zululand to Lord Chelmsford. They say that this decision is due to the strong bias of the Lord Chancellor for the family of Thesiger. The Admiralty and the War Office were sadly at loggerheads over the embarkation of the troops for Africa. When the Duke of Cambridge went down to Southampton the representative of the Admiralty declined to attend him, and hinted that he could only take orders from the Admiralty. Lord Gilford was sent to the Horse Guards to explain matters, but only made them worse by his explanations. The Exeter Hall people should take care that Her Majesty is accompanied by the most ultra-Protestant of her chaplains on her visit to Italy. The Queen is going to sojourn at a shrine of Catholicism more "Romish " than Rome itself. Lago Maggiore is thick with the traditions of Borromeos, who have given no less than seven cardinals to the Church. She will walk m the shadow of the very chateau, m which St. Charles Borromeo, the moving spirit of the Council of Trent, the enemy of the Reformation, and the uncompromising defender of the temporal and spiritual authority of the Popes, was born.. Here is a subject for the May Meetings. The list of presents to the Duke of Connaught has been eagerly conned during the last week. Amid the many useful and ornamental articles, it was oleasant to see " Silver money-box from Mr. Gilbert Farquhar." The prudent gentleman evidently intended to inculcate the old adage, " Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves." Another gentleman seemed to wish to impress the old proverb, "There's nothing like leather"; for among all the gold, silver, and jewels, we read, " Cigarette-case (leather; from Lieutenant-Colonel Mildmay." The first number of Time, a new magazine to be published on the 26th instant, will contain an article by Mr. Archibald Forbes, entitled (l Plain Words about the Afghan Question." It is written m outspoken language, and tells a thing -whioh. has never been told before, and which will oreate a sensation. • • Of course we shall eventualy beat these Zulus. But when a general has signally failed as a Commander-in-chief it is monstrous that he should be retained m command m order to give him an opportunity to re-establish his reputation. " Wait," it was said, " until Lord Chelmsford has had an opportunity to defend himself." We have his defence m his despatch, and it is the universal opinion of military men that his defence condemns him. Concerning the late royal marriage, the correspondence exchanged on the question as to whether the ceremony should take place m England or Germany was Hot caused by any sentimental feelings at Berlin, but because it was thought that if the Duke of Edinburgh could not go to St. Petersburg to marry a Romanoff, there was no conceivable reason why his younger brother could not on a similar occasion journey to Berlin to marry a Hohenzollern. The Corps Diplomatique is by no means satisfied with not having been invited to the marriage ceremonies at Windsor. Ambassadors and their wives, and envoys of courts which were allied by marriage as by blood of our royal family, without their wives, alone received invitations.